Lessons
by D. M. Evans
Summary: Just a lazy friday night on the hellmouth


LESSONS

D.M. Evans

Disclaimer - Not mine. Thanks to Mr. Whedon for allowing us to play

Rating - PG-13

Timeline - BtVS S3

Pairings - sort of non-ship. Mentions canon pairings of the time

Summary - Just a lazy Friday night on the Hellmouth

feedback - yes please, Note - Written for Kristi who wanted a little B/A, prompts at the bottom. (Okay, it's more Giles & Angel talking but there's some B/A, I swear)

"You young people have to learn to prioritize," Buffy said in a terrible English accent but it seemed to amuse Xander and Willow as they poured over the musty tomes scattered on the library table.

Angel just watched them quietly as he poked through a book on fey kind that someone had bound it a lamentable fuschia leather, damn the Seventies. He caught a glimpse of Giles' irritated look as the man poked his head out of his office. After Xander swore he had seen an elf-like creature outside his bedroom room two nights ago, Giles had them all scoring books trying to see if it was actually real or if Xander was having a 'I-have-a-chemistry-test-I'm-going-to-fail' hallucination. Giles and Angel both were betting on the latter but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"I have my priorities set," Buffy continued, shrugging her leather-clad shoulders. She had on Angel's jacket and left it on to make a point; 'let's hurry this along'. "It's Friday night. We may have all flunked chem, well except Willow and Oz, and now it's time to party."

"But what if the elf woman comes back for Xander?" Willow's eyes were wide. She leaned close to Buffy. Angel's vampire hearing caught her whisper, "You know his bad luck with demon women."

"Most fey females don't hurt men," Angel lied, thinking of several Irish and Scottish ones that would. He reasoned, 'it was only Xander, after all.' "They tend to have sex with them. Xander might enjoy that."

Xander made a face at him while Oz made a small noise that would pass as a laugh for him, terse as always. Giles came out of the office, giving Angel a sour look.

"Yes, thanks, Angel. That was helpful," the Watcher said.

"Giles, it's time to call it a night," Buffy whined.

Giles' blue eyes flicked to the clock. "It's not even seven yet, Buffy."

She pouted. "Giles, did you miss the part about it being Friday night?"

He whipped off his glasses, cleaning them. "No, and if you didn't procrastinate so much, you'd be done with the research and off frittering away your time."

"I do not fritter," she shot back, looking to Angel for help. He disappointed her. He was enjoying the banter, watching them fuss and groan. It was normal everyday stuff and he missed that in his rather lonely existence.

"You most assuredly do, like now. If you put the energy you expend on arguing with me, into the research you would have been out of here yesterday," Giles volleyed back.

Xander shoved a book at her. "Do the work, Buffy. Dead Boy's probably not mentioning that the elves kill after mating or something."

"They might carry you off to Underhill and keep you as a toy, like Tam Lin," Giles said, looking rather wickedly interested in that scenario. Angel couldn't help but grin.

"Ooo, I found that reference." Willow dug through the books to find the poem.

Giles came over to Angel, glancing down at the fuschia book. "How did that piece of nonsense get in here?"

"I was about to ask you that." Angel turned over the book. He cupped his hands behind his head as he went back to watching the teens.

Giles thumped the spine with a finger over the author's name. "Desiree Longbottom, haven't thought about her in forever. Used to know her."

Angel raised an eyebrow at the expression on Giles' face. "Knew her well?"

"She'd come to some of my and Ethan's parties," Giles said lowly, man to man, so the kids couldn't hear. "She loved a little slap and tickle."

Angel snorted, thinking he could picture Desiree just from her choice in book-binding, one of the wanna-be flower children that came a decade too late and became a Seventies swinger instead.

"So, if you're not actually helping, what are you doing here, Angel?" Giles sat down next to him, paging through the offending book.

Angel waved a hand at the teen's table. "Listening to them. It's oddly relaxing, like watching a lava lamp."

"Perhaps I should leave you do deal with them every day then," Giles replied, wearily.

"I've experience. You never had to ride herd on Dru, Spike and Darla when they'd get started with the bickering." Angel realized suddenly that he missed that, that it was part of the reason he was here. It was twisted but they had been family and he was looking to replace that with the Scoobies. At least they were a far better choice.

"And I'm quite glad of it. Some days they're bad enough." Giles nodded at the kids.

"So, do you really think Xander saw an elf?"

"Anything's possible on the Hellmouth," Giles replied.

"So how long are you going to keep them looking?" Angel sensed Giles wasn't taking this very seriously, no more than he was.

"Given the level of brattiness Buffy's displayed all week, I think another hour will do." Giles flashed him a very mischievous grin before going back to the table to prod Buffy into action.

Angel swallowed a laugh, realizing it was in part a lesson in responsibility and in part a punishment. Angel knew the love of his life could get to be a handful when she set her mind to it. What did he and Giles expect? She was a teenager after all. That was how they were hard wired.

When Giles finally let them go, Buffy all but yanked him to his feet with the words, "Bronze, now."

He followed, his hand in hers, as obedient as a puppy. Once they were in the shadows away from her friends, her lips met his.

"Been wanting to do that all night," she murmured. "I know Giles remembers what it's like to be young. He used to be so bad. Why can't he ever remember that when it's a Friday night?"

"Maybe if you didn't make him nuts so much during the week, he'd be more likely to cut you some slack on the weekends," Angel suggested, kissing her again.

Buffy pinched his side. "I don't make him nuts."

As her mouth met his again hungrily, Angel knew Giles' lesson hadn't been learned. But she was young, there would be time. For now, let her enjoy the moment. He fully intended to.

Prompts:-chemistry  
-lava lamp  
-shimmer  
-bouncy  
-fuschia  
-leather jacket  
-bask  
-sing  
-liaison  
-arch  
-prioritize  
-procrastinate


End file.
